THE Philippine Accessible Disability Services Inc. (Pads) has opened a new sports program for Persons With Disability (PWD) in Cebu with the first clinic for 7-aside amputee football.

Pads, known for its dragon boat team, recently conducted a clinic in amputee football at the Giuseppe football pitch on Saturday, Feb. 2.

Pads executive director JP Maunes told SunStar Cebu that it was a good way to kick off the amputee football program that drew interest from some PWD participants. Pads is looking forward to holding its second clinic and calls out PWDs to try the sport.

“We are encouraging the amputees to try this sport. Our plan is to do a weekly practice to ignite the interest on amputee football and hopefully it will translate to the growth of the sport,” said Maunes in Cebuano.

The other sports-for-all program offered by Pads are dragon boat, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and powerlifting.

“We need to set up an all-female amputee football team and also an all-male amputee team,” he said, adding that the biggest dream is to take part in the World Championships for amputee football in the US.

The first clinic by Pads was spearheaded by point person Christine “Tynee” Cabahug Ruedas with the support of Amputee Soccer of the Philippines. (RSC)